Tractor jack



1946- A. E. w. JOHNSON ET AL 2,410,945

TRACTOR J ACK ori inal Filed March 8, 1943 Patented Nov. 1946 Arnold E.W. Johnson, 'Oak'Park, and John R. Orelind, Wilmette, Ill.

Original application March 8, 1943, Serial No.

478,462. Divided and this application October 25, 1943, Serial No.507,550

This invention relates to tractor jacks and is a division ofourcopending application having Serial No. 478,462, filed March 8, 1943.

An important object of this invention is to provide a tractor having animplement capable of dual operation: .(1) that of earth working; and (2)as a jack in combination with minute finger-tip control therefor.

It is also an important object of this invention to provide a jackespecially adapted for tractors or the like and which is actuated bypower supplied from the tractor.

An important requirement of a tractor jack is that it be capable oflifting within accurate predetermined limits. It is necessary,therefore, as a requisite for efficient tractor jack operation toprovide a power lift arm which is movable through vernier adjustment.

Other and further important objects of this invention wiil becomeapparent from the disclosures in the following specification andaccompanying drawing.

The drawing shows incorporating the tr finger-tip control. 1

As shown in the drawing,

side elevation of a tractor tor implement jack with reference numeralhydraulic mechanism to 1 Claim. (Cl. 97-50) make any desired movement ofthis finger-tip control lever 92. An extension 98 of the lever 92beneath the pivot point engages a link arm I00, which in turn pivotallyengages an arm I02 and pivots it about a point I04 so that a lower endI06 ofthe arm means including a member I08 associated with anhydraulically operated device including a cylinder member H0. The memberI08 is so adjusted that a movement of the finger-tip lever 92 causes anopening or closing thereof and permits greater or less movement of .thepiston (not shown) within the hydraulic cylinder IIO.

Movement of the piston causes a direct movement of the arm 64. Provisionis also made within this positively lock the piston in itsultimately'assumed position, as determined by operation of the memberI08 by the finger-tip I0 indicates generally a tractor of the usual typehaving a chassis I2 upon which is mounted a forward wheel (not shown)and a pair of rear axles I6, one one being shown. The rear axles I6 arejournaled within bearing members I20 and support large wheels 20, whichordinarily accompany agricultural tractors. A pneumatic tire 26 ismounted on a rim member 24.

Heretofore, mechanisms have been employed to actuate a power-lift arm64, but most of these have been restricted to full movement of the armbetween its extreme end positions, and generally no provision was madefor intermediate stops of the arm. If intermediate stops of thepowerlift arm were available, no accurate means were ever provided tostop the arm at some predetermined desired position. An application onPower adjusting mechanism," Serial No. 466,463, sets forth an easilyoperated finger-tip lever which, upon being moved through its arcuaterange, causes an equal arcuate-moveinent of the power arm 64. Provisionis made in that mechanism for providing positive locking means of thearm 64 at whatever point the finger-tip lever is stopped. A likefinger-tip lever 92 is pivoted to an uprighton the chassis and iscapable of moving across the arcuate scale 96, which is accuratelycalibrated and positioned in close proximity to the operator of thetractor so that he may easily operation of tractor jacks, nor were thedevices lever 92.

The combining of the fing r-tip control with the tractor jack, asdisclosed herein, is novel inasmuch as it produces a long sought-afterdevice capable of much greater precision as required for tractor jacksin order that they be used successfully. It is now possible toaccurately raise one wheel of the tractor to any predetermined height.Such a condition is very desirable inasmuch as the tractor wheels are sovery heavy it is necessary, when mounting or dismounting them, to havethe axle at the exact height for sliding of the wheel on or oif withoutthe necessity of lifting it. The calibratedfingertip control enables theoperator to adjust the axle at just this proper height. Certainly thedevices that were limited only to full arcuate movement of thepower-lift arm were not adapted to the that were capable of intermediatestopping of the power arm to be successfully utilized with a tractorjack, for the reason that the axle height could not be adjusted to anypredetermined height without much running back and forth in attemptingto get the power arm in the right position. It is to be understood, ofcourse, that specific details of theltype ofpower-operated mechanism arenot disclosed, because they are not an integral part of this invention,but rather any device that permits accurate finger-tip control.

of the power-lift arm will suflice. For details of such a device, seethe above mentioned application having Serial No. 466,463.

The drawing shows a cultivating implement II2 having earth-working toolsII4, which are adapted to penetrate relatively soft ground and soprepare it for proper crop raising. The im- I02 controls a valveactuating plement I I2 is directly mounted on the tractor I somewhatsimilarly to the mounting of the jack'standard, as shownin Figure 1. Abracket H6 is attached at II8 to an axle housing I20, shown as a squarein cross section in contradistinction to the circular housing I8 shownon the tractor in Figure 1 of the parent application. A pair of leverarms I22 and I24 are pivoted respectively to the lower and upperportions of the bracket H at I28 and I28. The other ends of the arms I22and I24 are pivoted to a bracket I30 at the points I32 and I34,respectively. The cultivator H2 is bolted or otherwise attached to theshaft I36, which forms a unitary part of the vertical bracket I30. Alinkarm I38, connected to the arm 64 at one end, pivots about a point I40,which point forms an arc described by a connecting link or radius rodI42 as pivotable about its lower end at the point I 28 on the bracketIIB. A link arm I44 interconnects the bracket I30 by connection at 'apoint I46 with the arms I38 and I42 at their pivot point I40. A sleeveI48 is slidably adjustable along the length of the link arm I44 and hasan integral bracket I50, which is adapted to receive a aperture thereinat the point I40 to thereby join the three members I 33, I42, and I44.The depthof attaining is coneither higher that the cultivator is capabletrolled by adjusting the sleeve I 43 or lower on the link arm I44.

As shown in the drawing, the ground level is at I52, and the tractorwheel 20 is raised therefrom. This condition has arisen, because theround IE2 is so hard that the cultivator tools II4 cannot penetrate and,inasmuch as there is a direct linkage connection between the powerliitarm 64 and the tools I I4, the tractor itself then raises. Hence, thiscultivator implement acts in place of a jack when used on ground hardenough to prevent penetration of the cultivator tools. Generally.ordinary earth is not packed pin through an 4- ployed intermediate thedirect linkage connection between the power-lift arm 64 and theimplement tools II4, so that, upon actuation of the arm 64 when thetractor is raised on some firm support, the linkage could be reduced inlength to prevent injury of the tools. In the construction illustratedin the drawing, such resilient or yieldable member has been entirelyremoved so solidly enough to resist penetration of implement tools, sothe tractor is run onto some hard flooring, such as concrete or thelike, and the fingertip lever 92 moved along its arcuate scale to anydesired point, and the rear wheels of the tractor are thereby raised orlowered, as required. It will be seen that the implement performs allthe functions of a jack.

Heretotore, resilient means have been emrear of said tractor.

that the tools do not "give," and the result will be a lifting of therear end of the tractor.

We have developed a practically operable tractor jack capable ofcommercial adaptation for the sole reason that it is provided incombination with the finger-tip control, permitting operation thereof inminute increments, and we do not intend limiting the patent grantedthereon otherwise than as necessitated by the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a tractor having an elongated body and a transverse axle at the rearthereof for carrying rear traction wheels, a housing for said transverseaxle, said tractor containing a power source including a swingable workarm positioned on one side of the tractor at a forward point on theelongated body, a hydraulic device adapted to cause swinging movement ofsaid work arm, a

nally extending and vertically joined parallel links connecting saidcultivating implement to said axle housing, a radius rod pivotallyattached to the upper parallel link at its point of connection to theaxle housing and extending upwardly, said radius rod and said work armsubstantially parallel one to the other and joined by a rigid connectinglink, and another rigid link joining said radius rod and the other ofsaid parallel links at the rear end thereof, whereby movement of thecontrol lever to swing the work arm rearwardly will cause a downwardswinging of said parallel links and an upward movement of the ARNOLD 'E.W. JOIflISON; JOHN R. ORELIND.

